Hidden Scars Part 2
by Hiei449
Summary: Must read Hidden Scars to read this one. This one is about the journey of the Sanzo gang and their new allies and the problems they face during this time. Discontinued
1. Chapter 1

Ok, this is the second part to Hidden Scars. Would've had it out sooner had the site not kinda shut down during my study hall. I think it may become a three part series. Dunno how many parts. However, the last part may just very well suck. Who knows. Anyway, this part is about their journey West with the girls and the problems they face. Hope yall like it!!

Chapter 1

The wind blew gently as the day went on. The sun was shinning brightly, but the trees that surrounded the dirt path cast shade upon the travelers as they went about their way. West was where they headed. Towards the country of India where the resurrection was starting.

Sanzo and the others hadn't come across too many problems. A few demon assassins here and there, but nothing too big. The girls had helped a lot and cooked for them when they stopped. Currently, Maki was sitting between Gojyo and Goku in the back, helping to keep the two quiet. Julin was smaller so she was able to sit comfortably between Sanzo and Hakkai. Kirashi and Hitachi sat on the back of the jeep, never minding the wind that blew their hair back.

"So, how far to the next town, Hakkia?" Julin said as she looked around the wooded area. They had never really traveled this far before, which made it a whole new experience for them.

"It'll take about another hour to reach it," Hakkai said as he continued to drive. Hakuryu didn't really mind the extra load. In fact, he was happy to carry the girls seeing as how much attention and food they gave him. Normally, if he wasn't with Hakkai, he was either on Hitachi's shoulders or in Maki's lap.

"Hope we get there soon. I'm hungry," Julin said as she put a hand over her stomach.

"Yeah, I'm hungry too," Goku agreed. Sanzo sighed. It was bad enough having one person who had a bottomless stomach, but two was even worse.

"You two just ate maybe two hours ago. You can hold off till we get there." Finally, someone who can shut them up. Goku learned quickly not to piss Hitachi off. She was about as bad as Sanzo, only probably worse. Instead of using the paper fan in him like Sanzo does, she used the sheath of her sword, which hurt like hell.

"But Hitachi!" Julin on the other hand loved to piss her off. Which usually earned her a hit on the head, and this time was no different. "Ow!" Julin yelled as she held her head.

"No buts!" Hitachi yelled as she resheathed her sword. Maki just laughed. They began to learn that Maki was more of a quite and polite person, but with a short fuse. Get her pissed enough and you're dead. Kirashi mostly just stayed quiet, though she was chatty when she wanted to be. Julin had told them she's like that when she has something on her mind that she pretty much wont share with the rest of the group. Hey, what was her business was nothing of their business.

Sanzo though was starting to warm up to them a bit. More than once have one of the guys caught him asleep with Julin curled up against him or on his lap. At first he didn't like the idea of waking up and finding her curled up on his lap, but then he starting to change a bit. Now, he sits back in a comfortable position that would make it easier for Julin to climb into his lap without waking him.

Goku had quickly befriended the girls, having such an open personality and all. Hakkai usually had long and pleasant talks with Maki. It was nice to have a conversation with someone who was quite similar to him. Through her, he learned a lot of things about the villages they visited. Gojyo didn't mind the company all that much, especially since they were all women. Being around men for so long got really boring really fast.

So, through the couple weeks they had been traveling together, they seemed to be getting along quite well. They would stop at night, and instead of letting the girls have the jeep to sleep in, the girls insisted they liked to sleep on the ground. They'd huddle together with Hitachi sitting against a tree or something and having Kirashi use her lap as a pillow. Maki would then use Kirashi's stomach as a pillow before Julin was able to curl up on Maki's stomach. Then, during the night, Julin would get up and move over to Sanzo to sleep.

"I'm surprised we haven't gotten a visit from Kougaiji himself yet," Gojyo said as he watched the trees seemingly fly by.

"Don't jinx it, Gojyo," Hakkai said as they continued on down the road.

"This Kougaiji person…is he really that bad?" Julin asked.

"He's pretty damn strong, but I don't think he's really bad. I think more that someone else is controlling him. Like being blackmailed," Hakkai replied.

"Oh…I hate blackmail. I find it one of the lowest things ever," Julin said as she crossed her arms cutely.

Hakkai laughed slight. "I'll have to agree with you on that one Julin," he replied as they continued on down the road, heading for the village that lay ahead.

But their new companions didn't go unnoticed. Gyoukumen Kousho had gotten word of them after the girls had begun to travel with them. It didn't take long for her to find out about them.

"So, four new youkai have joined forces with Sanzo? Well this should make things a bit more interesting. Wouldn't you say, Kougaiji?" she said as she turned to her stepson, sutra in hand.

"And what would you have me do about it?" Kougaiji asked. He was not one to mess with other youkai who had nothing to do with the stopping of the resurrection, but then again, he'd do anything to free his mother from her curse. If that meant a few more youkai had to die, then so be it, but it didn't mean he had to like it either. In fact, he hated the idea that they had to kill Sanzo and them for this bitch.

"Be a dear and take care of them, wont you? It's bad enough we have to handle Sanzo and his friends. We don't need anyone else to try and stop us. They become quite bothersome after a while," Gyoukumen replied. "And make sure Sanzo and them watch them die. It'll break them."

Kougaiji nodded and walked out. He did not like this situation one bit. Those girls have nothing to do with this yet have to be killed because they befriended the Sanzo gang.

"Onii chan!" Kougaiji looked up at the sound of his younger sister's voice. Lirin came running down the hall towards him, Yaone hot in her heals. Lirin practically glomped her older brother enough to tackle a normal human, but Kougaiji was able to stay standing. "Hiya Onii chan!"

"Lirin, what are you doing?" Kougaiji asked. He was sure he had specifically told her to stay in her room with Yaone. Yaone was one of the only people he could count on to make sure Lirin stayed safe, though that was usually a very tough job to do. To most people, Lirin looked like a cute and innocent young girl, but Kougaiji knew better. She was more of a very strong and hyperactive child that would take off for a good fight every now and then.

"Lirin's bored! And you were going to slip out on us again! I wanna come too!" Lirin said, looking up at her older brother with her big eyes and pouting lips.

"Not this time, Lirin. Maybe next time. If you stay here and don't drive Yaone crazy, I'll make sure to bring you back a treat, Ok?"

"Ok! Bye bye, Onii chan!" Lirin said as she bounded off with Yaone. Kougaiji smiled faintly. Aside from his mother, Lirin was one of the few people he loved and cared about. He'd do anything for his younger sister, just as he'd do anything for his mother. Kougaiji sighed slightly and walked down the hall. He was determined to complete the assignment given to him.

Gyoukumen Kousho wasn't the only one who noticed the new group. Kanzeon Bosatsu smirked as she took her turn, moving the game piece to her desired location. "So it seems they have some new help with their journey. This'll make things a bit more interesting to say the least."

Jiro Shin (took awhile to find his name) picked up a tile and moved it as well. "Kanzeon Bosatsu, do you really think these four youkai can help them? I mean, wont they turn on them somewhere down the road?"

"Hm…that is a possibility, but a chance that is worth taking all the same. Sanzo and the others will need as much help as they can get. Who knows, maybe these girls will be more useful than we imagined," Kanzeon Bosatsu replied as she moved another tile.

"What do you mean by that?" Jiro Shin asked. This was starting to confuse him greatly. Yes, they could help with the journey, but what did Kanzeon Bosatsu mean by 'maybe these girls will be more useful than we imagined'? There must be something Kanzeon Bosatsu knew something that he had no clue on.

"Well, these four fight, but with nothing really to protect but their friendship. I think these four will give them something else to fight for. Something that nothing can replace and may just heal the old wounds that haunt them," she(?) replied. This was definitely going to be something worth watching.

Ok, this is chapter 1! Hope yall like it! I'll update as soon as I can! So review!!


	2. Chapter 2

Well, this chapter would've been up sooner had I not had a small writer's block and had we not had a snow day. Our school is fucking stupid as hell. We're allowed a maximum of three or five snow days before they start taking them off our breaks. The most our school has ever used is one snow day a year! I mean, last year we already had our snow day, and my dad was driving to work. It was snowing so badly that he couldn't see anything in front of him, and they still didn't close the school! Then this one time it got down to –27º! All the schools in the area except five were closed, and we were one of the five schools that didn't close. I swear, our school is so stupid sometimes!! But, anyway, time to thank the reviewers who have been waiting for this chapter to be put up!!

Devil-Angel- I know! Hakuryu is so cute! I love him so much! Yeah it was kinda fast cause while I was waiting for the site to come back up, I was typing up the second part. And I'm just gonna call Kanzeon a she even though it's a he/she. Hehe, anyway, thanks for the review!

Schizo the Mentally Disturbed- Yeah, my internet really sucks too. I'm not totally sure how the hell I misspelled her name. Weird. Oh well! Thanks for the review!

Doreygirl from MN- Thanks, and welcome to the reviewing family as I call it. Hope you'll stay a while!

Steven- Thanks, hun! It's up and I'll print you out a copy before I post it up!

I've also decided to make this part of the whole series for when the guys' feelings for the girls start to develop!! Ok, now, on to the story!!

Chapter 2

Kirashi yawned and stretched her arms above her head till her shoulders popped. They had stopped at a village for some rest and something to eat. Though Julin and Goku were always hungry, the others were starting to get there with their lack of food for the day. While traveling with no village in sight, the girls usually cooked for them, using different types of foods found in the area. They had learned what was good to eat and what was poisonous.

The town they had stopped in was quite busy to say the least. It was fairly big, which meant is probably wasn't a good idea to have Hakuryu out and about. They had parked him in an area near the inn they were planning to stay in. Julin and the others promised to cook some food for him later. He was pretty happy about that.

At the moment, Hitachi and Julin had gone off to get some needed supplies. They were running low on food and water and also needed medical supplies, just in case. Maki had also taken off, saying something about looking around. Kirashi had said that Maki was most likely going to trade with some of the villagers. Maki always made sure to collect at least one thing from each village they stopped at. Julin would sometimes go with her, but on the days she didn't, Maki made extra sure to bring something back for her as well.

Kirashi yawned again before pulling out her pack of cigarettes. Over time, they learned that all four girls pretty much drank alcohol, Maki and Julin drinking very little of it, and Kirashi and Hitachi both smoked.

"So, how long we stayin here?" Kirashi asked as she dug around for her lighter. She blinked slightly when a light was lit in front of her, but grateful all the same as she lit her cigarette.

"Probably just for tonight," Gojyo replied, putting his lighter back into his pocket. "How much farther do you four need to go anyway?"

Kirashi thought a bit, the smoking cigarette between her fingers. She took a drag and blew the smoke out. "Well, it takes about two months to walk there, so it might be another week. Then you can just drop us off and be on yalls way."

"Another week huh? That doesn't sound too bad," Gojyo replied, also taking a drag of his cigarette. Though Kirashi didn't talk much, Gojyo seemed more to enjoy her company than the others'. He seemed to be more comfortable around her and more relaxed. Usually, he'd seemed relaxed when someone else besides the guys were around, but was actually very alert and on guard.

"So, what's so big in the West that you need to get there so quickly?" Goku asked. Though it was none of his business, his curiosity was getting the better of him.

Kirashi took another drag of her cigarette. "I've got some business there that needs to be dealt with before it becomes a problem."

"Oh, boyfriend or something?"

"No. More like a traitor who's going to die," Kirashi replied before walking down the street.

Gojyo blinked at this. A traitor? "Well, it seems whoever this person is who's betrayed them in some way has some type of personal relationship to Kirashi," Hakkai said as he watched her walk away.

"Seems so. Come on, let's find Hitachi and Julin so we can get back to the inn," Sanzo said as he led the group down the street. Gojyo looked to where Kirashi had walked away, unable to see the girl anymore.

Julin bounced down the street beside Hitachi, who carried her bag filled with food and supplies over her shoulder. In the last town, they had picked up another hand made bag to keep food in. The person who had made it told them it could keep meat and things for quite a long time, sort of like a cooler. She was right. They had kept meat and things in it for days, and the food never spoiled.

"Hitachi! Can I get one of those?" Julin asked as she pointed to a stand filled with cookies and baked sweets.

"Fine, but only one. Grab another for Goku though," Hitachi replied. Though she was quite similar to Sanzo in many ways, she was also very different. Hitachi was more kind to the younger people in the group, which were Julin and Goku. She allowed them to get some sweets while Sanzo usually just told them no. When Sanzo told them no, Hitachi usually slipped them each a cookie or something of the sort. Hakkai usually caught them but didn't say anything.

"Ok!" Julin said as she bounced over to the stand, Hitachi keeping a close watch on her. However, she wasn't the only one watching Julin.

Uptop a building and out of sight stood Kougaiji, looking down at the younger youkai. She reminded him much of Lirin, a hyperactive child with a taste for sweets. That was Lirin in a nutshell. Hitachi had also reminded him more of himself, the protective older sibling keeping a close watch on the younger one. He really hated the fact that he had to do this to them, but he had to in order to save his mother from her curse. He didn't come alone though. Dokugakuji had taken off to find the other two youkai women. This was really going to hurt his pride. Taking the lives of two women and making Sanzo and the others watch. He had to do it first, but he had to get Sanzo and the others' attention before he could attack.

Dokugakuji watched as Kirashi walked down the busy street of the town. His brother seemed to be getting somewhat close to her. It was understandable. A beautiful woman with a dark past and an even darker secret had the unknowing ability to attract men. And Gojyo was no exception. It really bites when you have to kill someone who was unknowingly attracting a man that was an enemy to Kougaiji. Well, not so much an enemy to Kougaiji, just an enemy to his bitch stepmother.

Dokugakuji sighed. "Well, what has to be done, has to be done. Still sucks though. Sorry bro."

Kirashi sighed as she walked down the street. Why would Yukio do that to them? How could he betray them so after all they had gone through? It made no sense. But then again, Yukio's name did mean "gets what he wants." If Yukio wanted something, he'd do anything to get it. If that meant betraying the ones he held most dearly, then so be it.

"He will die, and I'll be the one to kill him," Kirashi said as she stomped her cigarette out.

"Looks like I was right. You do have a dark secret don't you?" Kirashi blinked and turned to see Dokugakuji standing behind her, his sword over his shoulder. "I'm Dokugakuji, Gojyo's older bro. Nice to meet ya."

"Uh…Kirashi, friend of Gojyo's I guess," Kirashi replied. This guy looked nothing like Gojyo. There were some similarities but also major differences.

"Kirashi, huh? Nice name. I'll make sure to have it written on your gravestone. Prepare to die," Dokugakuji said as he pointed his sword at her. Kirashi blinked again. She was in some major trouble.

Julin happily munched on the sweets she had gotten. Though Hitachi told her she could only have one, she was able to talk Hitachi into letting her have more. She bought a whole bag of them and even got a bag for Goku. Hitachi walked beside her, with her bag resting on her other shoulder now. With all the food and supplies they needed, the bag got a bit heavy for them to carry.

"Come on, Julin. We gotta get back so we can get something to eat. And don't spoil your appetite with those things either," Hitachi said as she took the bags from Julin.

"Hey! No fair!" Julin said as she pouted.

"Pouting doesn't work." Both Hitachi and Julin stopped in their tracks and looked at the newcomer. There, standing in front of them was Kougaiji. "It wears off after time."

Julin blinked at him and walked up till she was standing in front of him looking up into his eyes. "You're tall. What's your name?"

Kougaiji blinked at her. She definitely reminded him of Lirin, curious and childish. This would make it a bit harder to fight her. "I'm Kougaiji."

Julin blinked rapidly. Kougaiji? This was Kougaiji? "Oh! You're blackmail!"

Kougaiji looked at her with a confounded look on his face. "I'm what?"

"Blackmail! Hakkai said you were being blackmailed! That really sucks," Julin replied with a bright smile. She didn't seem one bit afraid of him. Though she was somewhat right. In a way, he was being blackmailed.

"Julin, remember what Hakkai also said about Kougaiji," Hitachi said as she watched him carefully.

"Oh! Right! That he was really strong!" Julin replied while bouncing on her heals. "Have you come to fight Sanzo and the others?"

"Er…no. I've come to kill you two," Kougaiji replied. These two were really starting to confuse the hell outta him.

"Really!? Cool! We get to fight a really strong guy!" Julin yelled as she bounced up and down. "I'm Julin by the way, and that's Hitachi! Maki always says it's very rude not to introduce ourselves, so I did. Now, let's fight!" she yelled before jumping back and taking her stance. Hitachi stood next to her and drew her sword. Kougaiji smirked a bit. This girl seemed more like Goku as well. This should really make it interesting.

Gojyo stopped walking and looked up. He didn't know how or why, but something just didn't feel right. It almost felt like something was tugging at his mind, towards the direction Kirashi had taken off to.

Hakkai looked at his friend. "Gojyo? What's the matter?"

"Something doesn't feel right. I think something's wrong with Kirashi. I don't know how I know, but I know something's not right," Gojyo said, his voice showing his uncertainty.

"You got the same feeling too, huh?" All eyes turned to Sanzo. He had been having a similar problem. He could feel a tug that was pulling him forward, urging him faster. Somehow, he knew something had to be happening with Hitachi. This really pissed him off, having these types of weird feelings coming up. Usually he just set them aside, thinking they'd die down in time, but this one was persistent.

"I kinda have that feeling too. Like something is happening, and I should be there to help," Goku said, staring straight ahead as well. Hakkai frowned a bit. He remembered what he had learned. That if someone you loved were to be in trouble, somehow you'd know about it. It had been a long time since he had even thought about it, but it seemed to be what they were feeling at the moment.

"We'd better find the girls as fast as possible. I'm going to find Maki, you three look for the others," Hakkai said. The others nodded, but weren't able to get very far before screaming was heard and two explosions went off in the direction Kirashi left and the one Hitachi and Julin had gone to. This was really bad.

Ok, that's chapter 2. It's starting to suck, but it will get better! I promise! I will do my best on it!! Review please!!


	3. Chapter 3

Ok, so that chapter wasn't really too bad I guess. Maybe I'm just gettin better at my writing skills. Cool. Anyway, it's regents week, which sucks ass. But thankfully I have no regentses to take up the precious time I need to write this story! Now, let's thank the reviewers for their wonderful reviews!

Devil-Angel- Yeah, Julin is pretty funny. She'll be like that for the whole story pretty much, unless there's depressing things and all. Anyway, thanks for the review!

Schizo the Mentally Disturbed- I hate pop-ups too. They bug the hell outta me. And pop-up blockers don't do a damn thing to stop them either. Anyway, hope you like this chapter!

Doublelynn- Thanks and welcome to the big family of reviewers as I usually call them. Half of these people have been here with me since the first part. Hope you'll stay awhile as well!!

Ok, now, on to the awaited chapter.

Chapter 3

The town was in a complete state of shock. Women scurried to get to their houses while men did their best to help those who were injured get to safety. Gojyo ran past the scared people, pushing through the crowd that was trying to get away from the danger. Something was really wrong, and it had to do with Kirashi.

Kirashi winced as she glared up at Dokugakuji from the pile of rubble she was currently sitting in. He had hit her quite hard, sending her right through the building wall. She slowly sat up and could taste the metallic blood in her mouth. She also knew that there was something dripping down her face, most likely a head wound.

Dokugakuji smirked, "Well, seems you're stronger than you look. Good, I like a good fight every now and then. Makes me a bit sick to have to kill someone who's weaker than me."

Kirashi grinned slightly as she stood. "I'm flattered. Really, I am. You're a pretty tough guy, and I like that." Kirashi gently took a bit of the blood on her face into her fingers and gently licked it off with a smirk, her eyes never leaving Dokugakuji. "This will be fun." Dokugakuji returned her smirk. This would be fun indeed.

As Gojyo tired to get to Kirashi, Sanzo and Goku were trying their best to get to Hitachi and Julin, but it was hard getting past all the people and the stands they knocked over. Somehow, though, they had to get to them.

Julin laughed as she dodged another one of Kougaiji's attacks. "This is fun!" She landed on top of a pole that once held one of the markets stands up and looked down at Kougaiji with a grin. "Hakkai was right! You are really strong! Good!"

Kougaiji growled slightly. Though she was nothing more than a child, she was getting on his nerves. Every attack he made against her, she dodged and laughed. It was like this was some type of game to her and that she's the one making up all the rules.

Kougaiji blinked when Julin started grinning and pointing up. He looked up above him just in time to barely dodge the oncoming attack. Hitachi had her sword drawn and had attacked from above. This was becoming difficult. Though these two where just a child and a youkai woman, they were both a bit too strong for him to handle alone.

"My turn!" Julin said as she jumped up, fist raised and ready to attack. Her attack, however, never hit its mark. Julin went flying back, crashing into another stand.

"Julin!" Hitachi yelled. She looked towards the sound of a jingling bell, sounding more like the kind of bell you'd put on a cat.

"Lirin!" Kougaiji yelled. His younger sister stood up from the position she had landed in after attacking Julin. "What are you doing here!?"

Lirin looked at him with her big cute eyes. "Lirin was bored! And you can't handle both of them at once!"

"Where's Yaone?"

"She went to find that other girl! Lirin made her come," she replied with a big smile that was too cute to argue with.

Kougaiji sighed. Lirin had that kind of effect on him. He could never stay mad at his little sister. He should've known she'd pull a stunt like this.

Julin winced as she tossed some of the stuff off her and climbed out of the pile of what was once a fruit stand. She gently rubbed her eyes, clearing her vision of the blood. "Who did that!? That was mean!"

Lirin turned to Julin, grinning. "No one hurts Onii chan!"

Hitachi and Julin both had to blink. "Onii chan?"

"You mean you're his little sister?" Hitachi asked, sword still in hand.

"Yep! Now, prepare to fight!" Lirin yelled, pointing to them with a cheerful grin. This was going to be really fun.

"Lirin, I'll handle this one," Kougaiji said as he turned to Julin. "Time to take you down."

Julin grinned and jumped up. "I'm ready for ya!"

"You ready, old hag?" Lirin said as she pointed to Hitachi.

"I'm ready whenever you are...And who you callin an old hag?" Hitachi replied. This was going to be an interesting battle.

During this whole time, Maki was off in another area of the town, trading some of her goods for those the town offered. Usually, she'd trade something that she already had more than one of for something that caught her eyes.

"Wow, this is pretty," Maki said as she held up a necklace. The pendant was a jade circle with a silver dragon that wrapped around it. She began to look through her bag for something to trade for it.

While Maki was busy looking for anything worth trading for it, Yaone stood at the end of the street, watching her. "Forgive me for doing this," she said as she removed her power limiter.

Maki handed the old woman one of the necklaces that was handmade out of carved bone. The woman smiled and accepted the gift, handing her the jade necklace in return.

Maki grinned as she put the necklace into her bag. "Thank you!" She hopped up and continued down the street. She looked at all the wonderful things that were set out along the street. Necklaces, pots, food, and even some clothes were set up for people to see and but or trade for. It was amazing how different everything is when you go from town to town and village to village.

"Miss Maki I presume." Maki blinked and turned around to find a woman standing behind her, staff in hand.

"Um…yes. What can I do for you?" Maki asked. This woman didn't seem like any real threat. Though looks weren't everything.

"I'm sorry. My name is Yaone, and I have come here to kill you. Please forgive me, but you must die," the woman replied.

Maki blinked at her. It wasn't every day you come across someone who apologizes for having to kill you. "Oh, no. It should be me who should apologize. You see, I can't die just yet. I'm sorry you came all this way for that, but, if you'd like, we can fight and see who will win."

"I'd like that very much. I must kill you, but you must not die. It seems we'll have to settle this in a fight."

"It would seem so," Maki said as she took her bag off and set it aside. "Sorry, I just can't have anything get broken."

"Oh, no. Not at all. I understand. Are you ready now?" Yaone asked. This woman seemed quite polite, which she liked.

"Yes, I'm ready. Let's start, but let's also try to not hurt anyone else in this battle, shall we?" Maki said as she gently bowed to Yaone.

Yaone returned the bow with one of her own. "Yes, let's try."

By the time Gojyo had reached Kirashi, he was already a bit out of breath from having to run. The sight her saw before him was not what he expected. On one side stood Kirashi, blood flowing down the side of her face. On the other side stood his brother, Dokugakuji. This was bad. What would his brother want with Kirashi? She had nothing to do with this.

At the moment, neither one of them moved. Both of them stood staring at one another, willing the other to make the first move. Then, it was like everything happened in a second. Both of them rushed at each other, Kirashi with nothing more than her fists, and Dokugakuji with his sword. Dokugakuji raised his sword and struck down on Kirashi, who was able to dodge before taking a good punch to his chin. Dokugakuji grunted and took another hit at her, nailing her in the stomach with his knee. Kirashi had to jump back to regain her composure, a hand to her injured diaphragm.

Dokugakuji smirked as he rubbed his injured chin. "Nice shot. You're definitely not as weak as your body looks."

"Thanks for the compliment. You're attack wasn't so bad either. A little on the low side, but that's alright," Kirashi replied with her own smirk. She really liked this guy. And though he and Gojyo looked nothing alike, they had the same cocky attitude. That was all she needed to know that they were really related.

"Ready for round two?" Dokugakuji asked, pointing his sword towards her.

"Dude, I was born ready. Bring it on," Kirashi replied.

Ok, chapter 3 is finally finished, and it really sucks. But the next one will be better I promise!! I'm working on chapter 4 now. So hurry and review so I can put it up!!


	4. Chapter 4

Wow, that was better than I thought. Cool! Well, the guys are on their way to help the girls, and they don't completely understand why. This chapter will have them confused as hell. Hehe. Well, new semester in school so a new schedule. I have ONE study hall. One! And that's on Thursdays and Tuesdays. Which also means less time to works on this story. I may just start writing them on the weekends and post them on Tuesdays or somethin. Who knows? Anyway, time to thank the reviewers!

Devil-Angel- I'll try to make the chapter longer this time! Promise!

Doublelynn- Yeah, they all seem pretty much the same, but at the same time they are pretty different. You'll find out later on in the story! Hope you like this chapter!

Schizo the Mentally Disturbed- LOL! I'm pretty hyper at times too! Hope you like this chapter.

Steven- Ok, ok! It's up already. And no, it's not that you can't type, it's that you can't spell. Hehe!

Ok, now, on to chapter 4!

Chapter 4

"Bring it on," Kirashi said with a smirk.

"You got it. Here it comes!" Dokugakuji yelled as he rushed towards her. Kirashi was ready for him this time. Neither of them expected for Gojyo's blade to come between them, causing Dokugakuji to have to jump back to avoid it.

"Hey, Dokugakuji! What the hell do you think you're doing?" Gojyo yelled as he glared as his older brother.

"Well hey bro. Nice to see ya again. I'm just havin fun here with your woman. You don't mind do ya?" Dokugakuji asked, placing his sword over his shoulder with a smirk.

"My what? She's not my woman!" Gojyo yelled. What in the hell made him think Kirashi was his woman? He didn't have any interest in her…did he?

"I'm nobody's woman!" Kirashi yelled, a vein popping out of her temple.

"Really? Wow, Gojyo. I'm surprised you haven't made a move on her yet. She's quite the looker and strong to boot," Dokugakuji said as he looked at Kirashi in thought. She did look pretty good, and she wasn't weak like most women he came across that's for sure. "I'll tell ya. I would've already made a move on her if I were you, but if you have no interest in her then she's still on the market."

This really pissed Gojyo off, but Gojyo didn't know why. His brother was right in saying that she was still free to anyone, so why was he so upset that Dokugakuji wanted to make a move on her? It confused him to no end. He didn't know why, but he'd be damned if he was going to let him get his hands on Kirashi.

"You touch her, and I'll cut your arm off," Gojyo said, hold tightening on his staff.

Kirashi frowned at him while Dokugakuji laughed. "I don't think you have any say on what can happen to her considering she's not your woman. Unless, you're planning to make your move on her, little bro?"

"Enough of this. You're business is with me. Kirashi has nothing to do with our fights," Gojyo replied. He didn't need any of this. He was already confused as it was. Something had told him that Kirashi was in danger somehow while his mind was confused about his relationship with her. Was it just a friendship, or was there something more that was developing in the back of his mind, just waiting to surface? He didn't know, but he desperately wanted to find out.

"Sorry bro, but I got orders to kill this woman. Shame really. She looks like she'd be a blast in bed," Dokugakuji said with a smirk, looking Kirashi over.

"Perv!" Kirashi yelled as a faint blush colored her cheeks. This was weird. She had a guy saying she'd be a good person in bed and another saying that he wasn't going to let his older bro even touch her. What in the hell was going on?

"Your fight's with me now, Dokugakuji!" Gojyo yelled as he rushed towards his older brother. The fight between Kirashi and Dokugakuji became a fight between brothers. This was seriously messed up.

Sanzo and Goku ran through the crowd, following the tug in their minds, which seemed to grow even more as time passed. Something was wrong, and they had to find Hitachi and Julin. Why? They had no idea.

"Sanzo! Look!" Goku yelled, pointing up towards the buildings. Sanzo followed his gaze and blinked a bit. There, on top of the building, were Julin and Kougaiji, both standing on one end of the building facing each other. Well…Kougaiji was standing, while Julin was bouncing up and down on her heals like a child who had just found a puppy.

"Goku, go! I'll find Hitachi!" Sanzo said as he took off down the street.

"Right!" Goku relied as he ran towards the building. He had to get to Julin. Somehow he felt a strong need to keep her from harm. He didn't know why, but he'd figure that out later.

Julin had a wide grin on her face as she bounced on her heals. Kougaiji was really strong when going up against her alone. He was able to get in a few good hits, which left a good bruise on her left cheek. "You're really strong! Just like Hakkai said! You're really fun! Let's keep playing, shall we?" she said as she continued to bounce in he heals.

"Alright then," Kougaiji replied. She was right in saying that this was fun, even for him. He had never fought anyone as strong as him other than Goku. Having someone who had as much fun very as much respect in fighting as Julin did made it an interesting fight.

"Well, let's see how you do against this!" Julin yelled as she stopped bouncing and just stood in place. She didn't move nor did she make any sign of attacking. Julin hummed slightly, as though to clear her voice. Then, she closed her eyes and began to sing, her voice traveling with such sound and power.

It captivated Kougaiji in it's enchanting magic. He tried to fight it, but it was hard. One word came to his mind: songtress. She could drive one insane with the sound of her voice. Kougaiji quickly covered his ears, in an attempt to block out the hypnotizing sounds. It was so no avail. The song was like a snake, slithering through and into his mind. He had only one choice; he had to stop her from singing. Kougaiji prepared himself for the hardship of resisting the tempting voice as he attacked her.

"One shot," Kougaiji said before he let his ears go and rushes towards her, ready to stop her hypnotizing voice, but he never got the chance.

Julin yelped when someone tackled her from the side, just barely missing Kougaiji's attack. "Ow! Hey!" she yelled as she sat up and looked at the one who tackled her. It was Goku. "What did you do that for?"

Goku looked at her with some anger. "You were nearly decapitated! Were you not paying attention?"

"I can take care of myself! I don't need your help!" Julin yelled as she got back up.

Goku stood as well. "Well, then next time how about I just let you get yourself killed?"

"I'm not gonna get myself killed!" Julin replied as she glares daggers at Goku.

"Yes you are!" Goku yelled back, also glaring.

Kougaiji blinked as he watched the two bicker, the effect of Julin's song fading in his mind. These two fought like a married couple. Who knows, maybe they'll become a married couple one day.

"Don't get between my fights!" Julin yelled, bringing Kougaiji out of his thoughts.

"He's not your fight! Kougaiji has no business with you!" Goku yelled before turning to Kougaiji. He wasn't going to let him hurt Julin. "Kougaiji! I'm still waiting for that fight you owe me! You're fight is with me now!"

"Really? Well that suites me just fine," Kougaiji replied. He'd handle Goku first and then continue his fight with Julin.

"But this is my fight! Meanie!" Julin yelled as she pouted. There was nothin she could do to stop the two. It was now their battle, and she had to watch from the sidelines.

Julin wasn't the only one with problems. Hitachi and Lirin were jumping around, landing hits whenever they could and usually getting a pretty good hit every now and then.

"I'm gonna get you, ya hold bag!" Lirin said as she lunged at Hitachi like a cat.

"Bring it on, kid!" Hitachi replied as she readied herself for the attack. It had been a long time since she was ever able to face anyone who was as strong as her and could actually put up a good fight.

"Here I come!" Lirin said as she landed a punch on the side of Hitachi's face. Hitachi returned the attack with a kick to Lirin's side. The fight had gone on like this for a while. One hitting the other and the other returning the blow. Hitachi never drew her sword on Lirin, wanting a good and fair fight.

What neither of them expecting was for an interruption. As Lirin went for another hit, a gunshot rang out, the bullet stopping Lirin in her tracks as it landed at her feet. Both Lirin and Hitachi looked up to see Sanzo holding his smoking gun, aimed at Lirin.

"Back. Off." Sanzo said, voice sounding dangerous.

"Nya! You're ruining our fun!" Lirin said in her cute and pouting voice, arms crossed and lower lip stuck out.

"Leave Hitachi alone," Sanzo replied, ignoring the pouting face of the child. He knew Hitachi could handle her on her own, but he felt some type of need to help her. More of that feeling surfaced, but he quickly pushed it down, wanting to deal with it later on.

Lirin blinked, confused with his request.

"I can take care of myself, Sanzo!" Hitachi yelled. Why would he even bother to help in the first damn place? It's not like she couldn't take care of herself. She did, after all, take care of herself and the other three for years.

Lirin looked between the two, who were currently glaring at each other, willing the other to back down first. A thought came to her mind. "Oh! You two love each other! Nya!" Lirin yelled.

Hitachi nearly fell over. "W-wha?"

Sanzo facefaulted. "What the hell are you talking about? I don't have any interest in her!" Or do I?

"Oh, then why are you stopping us?" Lirin asked, bringing out that innocent face of hers. If they didn't love each other, then why was Sanzo trying to stop their fight?

"Just shut up! You're fight is with me! Hitachi has nothing to do with this, understand?" Sanzo said after he regained his composure. That was one statement he was not ready for.

"Fine! But after I defeat you, I have to defeat her! So let's go!" Lirin said as she lunged at Sanzo now. Hitachi frowned as she watched the two. Where did Lirin get an idea like that? And why exactly did Sanzo stop their fight? This was confusing.

While Sanzo, Goku, and Gojyo fought in the girls' places, Hakkai was busy looking for Maki. He didn't wanna believe it, but he could feel that pull again. The one he felt so long ago when he knew Kanna was in need of him. He felt it with Maki. Was that betraying Kanna? Or was it him learning to move on again? He didn't know, and right about now, he didn't care, so long as he found Maki. He'd sort out his mind later on. When he was able to find Maki, he didn't like what he saw.

Maki dodged another attack from Yaone. They had taken their fight to the rooftops, not wanting to involve the people below. There was no need for unnecessary deaths in a fight that was between two people.

"You're quite good, Miss Yaone," Maki said as she dodged another attack and gathered some chi in her hand.

"Thank you. You are also quite good yourself, Miss Maki," Yaone replied as she dodged the chi attack. It was strange how the both of them could still be so polite when fighting like this.

The fight had gone on with each one making compliments and suggestions while fighting one another. It was as though each one respected the other even though they were enemies. One had to die, but they would die with the utmost honor and pride that they had done their best and were always polite even through the end. They had an understanding of this and were both willing to uphold it. That was what made it such a grand battle between them. But even grand battles had their mishaps.

Yaone took hold of her weapon and jumped up, meaning to pierce Maki through the heart, giving her a quick death. As Maki looked up at Yaone, Hakkai had taken it upon himself to jump between the two and grab the end of the staff. He quickly moved and flipped Yaone over Maki's head.

Maki blinked, not knowing what had just happened, Yaone was in the same state, not expecting that at all.

"I'm sorry, ladies, but I can't allow for this fight to continue," Hakkai said as she stood back up, unharmed. He looked over at Maki and Yaone with a smile. "You see, Miss Yaone is not you're opponent, Miss Maki. She is my opponent, and I can't allow you to get hurt when it should be me fighting."

"What are you talking about? I'm not gonna get hurt," Maki replied, crossing her arms.

Yaone stood and looked at Hakkai. "Forgive me, but I have orders."

Hakkai turned to Yaone, smile still in place. "You may fulfill them, if you can get past me first. I cannot allow for Miss Maki to get involved like this."

"Very well then, I will fight you first and then move on to Miss Maki,' Yaone said, agreeing with Hakkai's point. Maki had no business with them. She was merely with the wrong people at the wrong time.

"Maki frowned upon this. This was her fight, so why couldn't she finish it? Something was up, and she wanted to know what.

But Maki wasn't the only one who noticed this. Someone else was keeping a close watch on the Sanzo group and their new companions. "Interesting. Very interesting. I think these girls may prove to be useful to me. Sanzo and the others have taken a liking to these girls. That will be their downfall."

Hehe, cliffy again! Sorry! I know this chapter sucked, but I couldn't think of any other way to put it. But it is longer! The ending was a bit rushed cause I promised it'd be up today and like I had only half an hour to finish it! The next one will be better I promise! And it'll be up before I leave for Florida! I'm not gonna leave yall here with nothing to read while I'm gone! So hurry and review!


	5. Chapter 5

Well, on the ninth and tenth of this month, I was gone to a competition where I had to speak off the top of my head. Oh joy, not. And, because I only have one study hall and a major ass writer's block, it took so long to type this up. Anyway, I wasn't able to work on this so I'm behind. Sorry! But here it is! Hope you'll like it, but warning, major ass cliffhangar! Sorry! And it sucks ass right now! Really sorry!

Doublelynn- Lol, thanks! Hope you like this chapter!

Devil-Angel- I love Julin! Her and Lirin might become friends, not sure yet. Gotta read the rest of the mangas to find out what happens to her and Kougaiji first! And don't tell me either! I want no spoilers! I hate school too, but maybe this chapter will brighten your day! Hope you like it!

Steven- Here it is! Hope you like it!

Chapter 5

Dark gray eyes watched as each person of the Sanzo gang fought to keep the ones they had no idea they were falling for out of harm's way. This made it an interesting situation, but also the perfect time to test their limits.

"I think it's time we put their loyalties and mental strength to the test. I wonder how they'll react to this, that I do," the man said, as he watched the four. "Which to do first, I wonder. Hm…the hard strong priest and the feisty leader? No, they should be last. The two polite and kind youkai? No, not yet. The ladies man and the betrayed lover? Maybe. Ah, the youngest two of both groups. Innocent and sweet. They shall be the first." The man laughed before jumping down to disappear in the shadows.

Goku dodged another oncoming attack that would've taken off a good chunk of his arm. He quickly took his chance to attack Kougaiji again, fighting harder than he had done the last time they had fought. Why? Why did he fight so hard? Was it because if he failed, Julin would have to fight again?

Julin watched as both of them fought, blocking attacks from the other and sending their attacks in respond. It was like a game to them, taking turns on blocking and attacking each other, seeing who could stand the most without backing down. This battle was also balanced. Even the smallest mistake could tip the scale to either favor one person or favor the other. She only prayed the scale tipped in Goku's favor.

Must act swiftly. She has to see him for this to work. If she does, all the pieces will fall into place like a jigsaw puzzle. Once that happens, their eyes will be opened to what really drives them so hard. Time to work, that it is.

Julin's concentration on the fight before her was broken by another sight. The sight of a man dressed in a long rob that covered his face, all except the crooked smile that revealed crooked teeth. He stood on the opposite building as she did, seeming to watch the fight. The man grinned and slowly retrieved a knife from his robes. Julin's eyes widened. He movements were swift, and she barely had time to move.

Kougaiji and Goku both froze as blood was spilled between them, staining the ground at their feet. Goku looked at where the blood had come from, and the sight that met his eyes horrified him. Julin stood in front of Goku, the man in front of her, and the knife embedded into her shoulder. "Julin!" Goku yelled.

The man smirked before tearing the knife from Julin's shoulder, spilling her blood on the ground. Perfect. As predicted, all the pieces fell into place. Time to make the escape and fulfill the next part of his plan. The man grinned and jumped away from Julin and over the edge of the building, disappearing completely.

Julin fell to the ground, blood spilling from her shoulder. "Julin!" Goku yelled as he ran towards her. He gently picked her up and looked her over. The wound was deep, the knife had embedded to the hilt. "Julin, are you alright?" Goku asked.

Julin winced and looked up at him. "Now who's gonna get themselves killed from not paying attention?"

Goku blinked and then laughed slightly. "Yeah, I guess so." He quickly tore part of his cape, tying it tightly around her shoulder to slow the bleeding. "Let's get you fixed up."

Goku quickly stood, picking Julin up with him. He then turned to Kougaiji. "Sorry, Kougaiji. As much as I want to continue this fight, we'll have to put it off." Kougaiji nodded, understanding that those close to you are more important than anything else. Goku nodded as well and jumped down from the building, Julin safely in his arms. He had to find Hakkai and the others. If that person was after him, the others will be in danger. This was not good.

Kougaiji watched Goku run off with Julin. His stepmother wont be happy about this, but her opinion and his were completely different. Though he was ordered to kill Julin, he wasn't about to do it while she was done and injured. She had stopped the attack on Goku using her own body as a shield. This meant that she was very daring and jumped into things without even a second thought about the consequences. Sort of like Lirin. That may have been the reason he let her live for now. She reminded him so much of his younger sister, whom he'd do anything for. Just as, it seemed, Goku would do anything for Julin.

Kirashi was the next target. She stood watching as both Gojyo and his brother fought. Dokugakuji brought his sword down upon Gojyo, who stopped it with his staff. Sword clashed with staff, just as brother clashed with brother. This was wrong. Why did they have to fight? Shouldn't they be helping one another? Something weird was going on that she had no idea on. All she knew was that these two brothers shouldn't be fighting. But what could she do? She couldn't stop them. She had no way to do it.

This fight might make it more dangerous to do. If not done at the right time, the blow may kill the woman. That wouldn't be good, no it wont. She had to stay alive for the plan to work. She had to continue breathing to send Gojyo into madness. Have to act quickly and on time.

Kirashi watched as the weapons clashed between them once again. This could go on forever. Or maybe not, as her gaze was thrown from the battle to the glint of another weapon. One that was aimed at the fight, but more at Gojyo. Without thought, Kirashi ran towards Gojyo. She had to stop that attack at least, if she couldn't stop the battle.

Gojyo blocked another of Dokugakuji's attacks, meaning to return the attack with one of his own. He was surprised to find himself on the ground, looking up at Dokugakuji, just in time to see him bring his sword down upon Kirashi, making a long gash down her back, blood splashing onto the ground below her.

"Kirashi!" Gojyo yelled. Dokugakuji blinked in surprise. She had jump between them, sending Gojyo to the ground, and taking the attack. But why? Why would she jump in now?

Kirashi fell to the ground, blood pouring around her. That bastard. He knew she would do that and knew that Dokugakuji wouldn't be able to stop. She painfully got up onto her elbow, the other hand holding the wound that the man had given her across her chest. It hurt. It hurt like hell to even move.

"Kirashi!" Gojyo yelled as he ran over to her, forgetting completely about the fight and focusing his attention on the injured woman. He quickly took off his vest, not knowing any other way to help, and pressed it against the bleeding wound on her back. His clothing would get stained, but he couldn't care less at the moment. "You idiot! Why did you do that?"

Kirashi winced again. She had to show him why so he wouldn't think her an idiot. Her eyes darted around, looking for the man who had caused her so much pain. Then, she spotted him, standing uptop a building with that mug smirk on his face. Wincing in pain, Kirashi raised the hand that held her wound, dripping in blood, and pointed towards the man.

Gojyo followed the direction she was pointing and saw the man just in time to see him disappear. "What the fuck?"

"Hm, seems she was stopping someone else from completing my job for me. Crazy woman. Guess we'll have to put this fight off for now," Dokugakuji said, putting his sword over his shoulder. He had also seen the man just as he had jumped onto the building, a bloodied knife in his hand.

Goyjo looked at him in confusion. He was letting him go? Dokugakuji looked at his younger brother. "Hey, it's not as much fun if it's not on fair terms. You'll be completely distracted with her well being if you fight. I'll let you go for now, but be ready when I come back. Now get out of here before I change my mind."

Gojyo nodded, understanding what Dokugakuji meant. He quickly, yet gently, picked Kirashi up, her blood dripping down his arms. He then ran off, meaning to find Kirashi the help she needed. If he didn't find help in time, she'd die in his arms. It hurt to think about what would happen if she died, yet he didn't understand completely why. Was he falling for her? He couldn't be…could he? He'd figure it all out later. Right now, he needed to find her some help.

Two down, one to go. The leaders would be last, most likely going to put up a good fight before ever going down. That left the human turned youkai and the kind and polite youkai. Couldn't hurt her too badly. Didn't want to make her mad enough that he wouldn't escape. If he died, their eyes would never be opened, and the first two would surely die pointlessly.

Yaone struck at Hakkai with her staff, cutting away a bit of the clothing, but not close enough to cut the skin. She struck again and again, never close enough to cause injury. Hakkai had stopped her fight with Maki, giving her no choice but to go from one technique to a totally different one.

Hakkai smiled calmly as he dodged another attack. "You have improved a lot. I'm glad."

"Thank you. You have improved as well. I'd also like to see how well your friend fights. She seems very strong," Yaone replied, returning his smile with one of her own.

"I'm afraid you won't get the chance to. I can't allow Maki to fight in my place."

"Hey! You were the one who jumped in and took my place! Remember!" Maki yelled, obviously pissed as she stood on the sidelines with her arms crossed.

Hakkai looked at her with a slightly worried smile. He did NOT wand to piss her off. "Yes, well, I couldn't let you fight someone you had no clue on how to handle."

"And like you did those youkai that we came across on our way here?"

Hakkai didn't know how to reply to that one. It was true that Maki had no idea about the techniques Yaone used, but he had no idea on some of the techniques that the youkai used that they had come across.

Maki watched as the fight continued with them, very pissed that Hakkai wasn't letting her fight. He was treating her like a child whose hand needed to be held. She wasn't a child and could take care of herself. So why was he doing this?

Maki blinked as the light from the sun reflected off something and into her eyes. What was it? Something metal, but not from Yaone's staff. It came from somewhere behind them. A man, the sun glinting off the metal of a knife, dripping in the blood of another. This was something you don't see everyday, which meant he was trouble. And trouble he was, as he jumped from the other building, knife drawn, and aimed at Hakkai. She had to do something. Without even thinking, Maki ran towards the man, ready to stop him.

Hakkai jumped back from Yaone, and readied himself to dodge another attack. Yaone wasn't one to displease as she raised her staff. They were both surprised when Maki had run between them. Was she trying to fight again. They watched as she jumped up and kick a man, just as the knife he held came down into her leg, her blood pouring from the wound.

"Maki!" Hakkai yelled. This was not good. So not good.

Maki landed on the ground in a kneeling position, hand clamped at her leg. The man fell over the edge of the building, but disappeared a moment later.

"Maki," Hakkai said as he ran over to the woman, Yaone following. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. It's nothing more than a stab wound. No biggie," Maki said as she stood. Even with her protests, Hakkai helped her to stand so she wouldn't put any pressure on the injured leg, possibly injuring it further.

"Hakkai." Hakkai looked at Yaone. "Take care of her. We will continue our fight at another time."

Hakkai smiled and nodded. Thankful that she was letting him go to tend to Maki's wounds. "Thank you."

Yaone stood watching as Hakkai took Maki off to get her help. There was something there between them. Something that could change the way Hakkai fought. While he fought well, this could make him fight harder. It hadn't yet surfaced, but when it did, Yaone wanted to be there to fight him once again.

Sanzo picked Lirin up by the back of her shirt, holding her at arms length away from him. It wasn't very hard to keep her busy. Keep her at arms reach and you'll be just fine.

"Put me down!" Lirin yelled as she struggled.

"I hate children," Sanzo said as he held the struggling child, eye twitching in annoyance.

"Really? I feel sorry for the woman who'll be with you then," Hitachi replied, watching him with her arms crossed. He wanted to take care of it when she had it under control. Holding the child captive doesn't solve the problem, because you still have to deal with her.

"Whatever." Sanzo turned his back to her and started to walk off, meaning to give Kougiaji back his little pest.

Hitachi sighed and went to follow, obviously still pissed off. As she followed, the man watched her, bloodied knife in his hand. This was the last one, and then the second part of his plan can be put into play. But this would be more difficult than the others.

Hitachi paused as she sensed something. Something was there, watching her. She took ahold of her sword, ready to attack. She stood still, waiting for the attack she knew was coming. In a split second, she drew her sword and turned, holding it up to block the knife from a man.

Sanzo stopped and looked at them, just in time to see the man pull out another knife to strike her in the side. Blood spilled to the ground as the man pulled out the knife and jumped back, letting Hitachi kneel to the ground holding her side.

"Hitachi!" Sanzo yelled.

Lirin blinked. "That was a cheap shot! No fair!"

The man grinned and jumped away into an alley, disappearing in the shadows. Sanzo put Lirin down and quickly went over to Hitachi. Her wound seemed deep, dripping blood over her hand to stain the ground.

Hitachi winced as she put her sword back into its sheath. It was painful to move. There was no way she'd be able to walk on her own.

"Come on," Sanzo said as he knelt down, putting one of Hitachi's hands over his neck, placing his hand on her side. He stood, helping her to stand, and looked at Lirin. "Go find someone else to bug right now."

Lirin pouted and watched as they walked off, meaning to find medical attention soon. What was up with Sanzo? Is wasn't like he liked her or anything…did he? This is gonna be interesting.

Ok, this chapter sucked ass. I'm not very good at typing chapters were all the characters are in different areas and I have to keep switching scenes. That's why it took so damn long. Sorry! Next chapter will be better! Promise! Review and tell me how bad it was!


	6. Chapter 6

Well, I guess the last chapter wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I still think it sucked ass though. But, I guess some people actually liked it. That's cool! Anyway, my life sucks. I just got back from going to my grandfather's funeral, which really sucks ass. So I couldn't get this chapter up for you all! But I got it up now! Hope it's good! But first, gotta thank the reviewers!

Steven- Here! Now quit naggin! Hope your friends like it! Tell them to drop some reviews and I can get these chapters up faster! You know the drill. I usually don't put up the chapters until I have at least three reviews!

Devil-Angel- Yeah, you'll probably see a lot of the girls doing things without thinking first. That's just their nature I guess. Thanks for the review!

Doublelynn- LOL! Thanks! I hope you like this chapter!

Ok, now it's time for the chapter! Here ya go!

Chapter 6

Night had fallen over the town once more, brining with it the chilly air from the north. Clouds hung over the earth, shading it from the lit moon and the bright stars. The sky was about as gloomy as the moods of four young men. Hakkai sighed as he washed his hands clean of the blood. The four girls slept quietly, Hitachi on the single bed with the others sleeping on the floor surrounded by pillows and blankets for comfort.

Hakkai was able to close their more serious wounds and bandage them. Sanzo and the others had gone searching the town for the man who had attacked them, but came back with nothing. The wounds he created weren't deep; however, Kirashi's wound from Dokugakuji was fairly deep. It took a lot of energy from Hakkai to close all of their wounds, but he knew he had to do it.

Sanzo didn't think it would be too good an idea to have separate rooms, so they decided on staying in one room and keeping guard over the girls, seeing as how they had to have been the main targets. They had searched the entire town, looking high and low, for the mysterious man, but with no luck. For now, they all sat around the room, Gojyo backwards on a chair, Goku sitting on the ground by Julin looking pretty guilty, and Sanzo on the window sill watching for any youkai.

"I was able to patch up their wounds, but they wont be getting up for a couple days," Hakkai said, drying his hands off.

"So what the heck happened? I mean, one minute we're fighting Kougaiji and them and the next all four of the girls are attacked by some guy when our backs were turned," Gojyo said, taking a drag from his cigarette. Something was really off. For now, he had set his strange feelings aside to deal with later on.

"I'm not sure, but I think it might be a way to get to us. Sort of like an indirect way of breaking us, making it easier to kill us off," Hakkai explained, looking down at the sleeping forms.

"I don't care what the reason for it is. The girls aren't even involved in all of this. Why should they have to pay for just traveling with us?" Goku asked, never taking his guilt laden eyes off Julin.

"Sometimes people don't always play fair, Goku. They'll take any chance they have to win, whether it involves innocent people or not," Hakkai explained, knowing exactly how Goku felt. They all felt guilty for having involved the girls in this whole mess and being the cause for their injuries.

"Either way, we'll be stuck here for a little while. Gojyo, you and me will keep watch outside the door. Goku, you stay by the window. Hakkai, you stay right where you're at. You're in charge of the girls until their wounds have healed," Sanzo said, standing from the chair by the window.

Hakkai nodded as Goku took Sanzo's place. Gojyo stood and followed Sanzo out. Once the door was shut, Sanzo turned to Gojyo. "I'm guessing you felt the some thing as I did."

"You mean that sudden weird feeling of having to help them?"

Sanzo crossed his arm, leaning back against the wall. "That and the knowing of them begin in some type of danger. I knew Hitachi cold handle Lirin on her own, but I couldn't let her. I didn't want her to fight, and I don't know why."

"I know what you mean. Kirashi could easily match Dokugakuji with her flutes, but I didn't want her to fight him. I had to step in. Why? Hell if I know," Gojyo replied, lighting another cigarette. "At that time I didn't care. I just wanted to get her some help."

"Same here. Why do you think that man was after them though?"

"To get to us I guess," Gojyo replied, blowing out the smoke from his cancer stick.

"The only person really after us is Kougaiji, and Lirin didn't seem to know who that man was, so I doubt Kougaiji sent him. Besides, it's not his style. He'd much prefer to kill us off himself," Sanzo said, staring at the wall in front of him.

"I guess so. Who knows anymore? We'll just have to wait and see what happens," Gojyo replied, sitting down on the ground and leaning back against the door.

Goku sat upon the chair, watching out the window. Every once in a while, his eyes would drift to the sleeping forms in the room. Bandages stuck out from their clothes to cover the bleeding wounds. He felt really guilty about dragging them into their mess.

"They'll be fine, Goku." Goku looked up into the smiling face of Hakkai, but he knew he felt the same way. "They're strong and aren't going to give up that easily."

"I know. Hey, Hakkai, do you have any idea why we could all feel their danger? I mean, we were on the other side of town and could tell they were gonna get hurt. But why?"

Hakkai thought about that for a moment. It had slipped his mind when he was tending to the wounds. "Well, there's this old saying, that if the person you love is in danger, you could sense it somehow. Not like we can tell where a youkai is, but something in the back of your mind or in your heart tells you that the person you love needs you. It might not have been Kougaiji who was putting Julin in danger, but that man. Your heart must've sensed it somehow," Hakkai explained, remembering the tug from his own mind.

Goku blinked a bit, looking at Julin. Did he really love her? Maybe he did. It was strange. He didn't know what his feelings for her were. Maybe he did love her, maybe he didn't. He felt like he could be himself around her. That she wouldn't think of him as an idiot all the time.

Hakkai smiled a bit at Goku and turned back to his own thoughts. It seemed all of them had started to connect with the girls that decided to travel with them. Though they had only known them for a short time, they had grown fond of their company. Hakkai himself had grown fond of Maki. She was always cheerful and full of life that was practically contagious. Hakkai thought of what he had told Goku. Could it be that he had fallen for someone? Couldn't be…could it? Was his heart really big enough to hold a place for her?

Cold eyes watched them as they lost themselves in their own thoughts. Everything was falling into place. Soon their eyes would be opened, but the next step had to be put into action first. A grin crossed the man's face slowly. A small stick was held within his hands, an aura of blue surrounding the wood. The grin widened as the hands bent the wood. The branch creaked in protest before snapping in two pieces. He grinned again as four sets of screams erupted from the once quiet room.

Ok, there's chapter 6! Finally! Hope yall like it! Wanna know what happened? Then review and find out!


	7. Chapter 7

Ok, so the last chapter left yall with a little surprise! Sorry! Anyway, the whole twig-snapping bit will be explained later. Which chapter I have no clue. Sorry! Stupid Because of it I don't think some people got their e-mails about my story updating! I know I didn't get mine from when you all reviewed! Not to mention the really huge writers' block I had! Anyway, time to thank reviewers for their reviews!

Too lazy to log in- Nice name! That's awesome! Sorry for leavin ya with that evil cliffy!

Devil-Angel- Oh fun. I hate it when my computer goes completely wacko on me! Pisses me off sometimes! Yeah, they're starting to realize it and then trying to find reasons why it can't be true. But that'll change! Hehe!

C.T. Saiyukily Twisted- Epp! Don't hurt me! I promise I'll be really good! Lol!

Doublelynn- Lol! S'ok, no biggi that your review was late. So long as you reviewed and you're happy with the story!

Steven- Yeah, I know what you mean.

Ok, now on to the chapter!

Chapter 7

Sanzo and Gojyo burst into the room as fast as they could when they had heard the girls scream. What met their eyes they couldn't understand. All four of the girls were screaming in pain and hugged themselves as though that would ward off the harm. Hakkai and Goku were at a loss as to what to do or what was wrong.

"What happened?" Sanzo yelled.

Hakkai looked up at him in complete confusion. "Your guess is as good as mine! They were all asleep and then all of them suddenly started screaming!"

"What do we do? We have to calm them down!" Goku yelled, afraid to touch them for fear of making the matter worse.

"I'm not sure, Goku!" Hakkai said, watching the girls helplessly.

Gojyo watched the girls wither in pain, almost as though they were being torn from the inside out. He had to do something. He couldn't stand to sit back and watch them scream in agony. Gojyo quickly made his way over to Kirashi's curled form and sat beside her. The others watched as he gently picked Kirashi off the ground and placed her in his lap, wrapping his arms around her small figure. He couldn't stop the pain, but he could at least comfort her.

Kirashi fisted his shirt with her hands, burying her face in the side of his neck in pain. It hurt. It hurt a lot, but it was comforting to feel someone there with her. Another wave of pain hit her, causing her to let out a small scream, which is bit back. Gojyo's arms only tightened around her, pulling her closer to his body.

Gojyo held Kirashi for a while and then looked at the others. "We can't stop this if we don't know what it is, but the least we can do is give them some comfort."

Goku looked down at Julin, her body curled in its tight form as though protecting herself from the pain. He thought for a few moments before taking off his cape. He removed everything from his chest except his shirt before gently picking Julin up. He followed Gojyo's example and placed her on his lap, pulling her close.

Julin wrapped her arms around him, curling her hands into fists on his shirt. She didn't know why but it felt like her whole body was on fire. It hurt to move, but she found some comfort in Goku's arms. She didn't have time to think as more pain came crashing upon her body. She cried out, clutching to his body like a lifeline. Goku didn't mind and let her hold onto him.

Hakkai carefully picked Maki up, pulling her onto his lap and letting her lean back on him, his arms carefully wrapped around her smaller frame. She held onto his arms, resting her head against his chest. She was in so much pain, and any kind of comfort was gladly accepted. Pure pain shot through her body like an electric shock. She didn't know what was wrong, but it hurt too badly to really care. She just wanted it to stop.

Sanzo looked down at Hitachi, who lay on the bed curled up in pain. He sighed inwardly before removing the sutra from his shoulders and putting it away. He also took off the gold that hung at his chest from around her neck. Hitachi could feel the dip in the bed as Sanzo lay down beside her, wrapping his arms around her trembling body and pulling her close to him. The fabric from his priest robes was soft and smooth. Comforting actually. But it was unable to stop the pain erupting from somewhere in her body.

The guys held them close to their bodies, offering what little comfort they had as each wave of pain crashed upon them. It took a few hours of holding them, trying to calm them down, before the pain subsided and the girls were in a light sleep. Then, they gathered out into the hall to talk, making sure to not wake them.

"What was that all about?" Goku asked, as he looked at Hakkai, hoping for some answers.

"I'm not sure, but I think that when the man attacked them, he wasn't looking to injure them. I think he poisoned them somehow. With what, I'm not sure," Hakkai stated, looked at the girls. Their skin was a bit pale.

"Well if we don't know what it is then how do we stop it?" Gojyo asked, looking back into the room where the girls slept.

"I'm not sure. I can't tell how to stop it if I can't determin what it is," Hakkai said thoughtfully.

"We'll wath over them for now," Sazo said as he lit one of his cigarrets. "We'll see how this poison effects them and try to find out what it is. We'll take turns watching them tonight. Any changes wake the others. Hakkai, Gojyo, you're first."

Hakkai and Gojyo nodded and sat with the girls as Sanzo and Goku went to sleep. The girls tossed and turned all through the night, but the morning was much better. The guys awoke to find Hitachi, Kirashi, and Julin all sleeping peacefully and Maki up and about collecting her things for a bath. Their skin color was normal and they seemed to have no memory of the night before. All they could recall was the attacks against them from that old man.

"This is very odd," Hakkai said as he watched the girls make breakfast once again.

"Maybe the poison didn't effect them?" Gojyo suggested, watching them carefully in case something actually did happen.

"Maybe, but we'd better still keep an eye on them. Keep a lookout as well for that old man," Sanzo said quietly. They didn't want to worry the girls, so they avoided telling them of last night's events.

For the next few days, this continued on. The girls seemed normal and ready to get back on the road. Their wounds healed nicely thanks to Hakkai, but they were becoming suspicious of the guys keeping such a close watch on them.

After a while, Sanzo decided it was time to get moving again. Hakkai couldn't find anything wrong with the girls, but he still stayed suspicious as they went on with their journey again, heading West. It seemed to them the danger had passed and there was no need to worry anymore. A failed attempt at stopping them…or was it?

Hehe, bit of a short chapter but there is a reason. The next few chapters will be getting the guys a bit closer to the girls. You'll see quite a bit of past events and maybe some answers to some of the questions brewing in people's minds. But first, you gotta review!


	8. Chapter 8

Ok, this one is mostly gonna be about one of Maki and Hakkai's conversations in the middle of the night. It was mentioned in chapter 1 I think that Hakkai enjoyed talking with Maki about anything. Well, here's one of those! But first, thank reviewers!

Devil-Angel- LOL! Thanks for reviewing! Hope you like this chapter!

Doublelynn- LOL! That's what I thought about you guys! I thought yall were gonna kill me if I didn't get this chapter up soon! Hope you like this chapter!

Chapter 8

The next few weeks after the poison incident didn't seem much of a difference. Fight a few youkai, get through a few storms, and make sure Julin and Goku didn't eat all of the food. Hitachi and the girls didn't seem to be any different either. They still had no recollection of what had happened that night and the symptoms of the poison didn't occur again. So the guys' worries subsided and life went on as it was.

They decided to stop at the next town, hoping to get some better night's sleep than having to sleep on the ground or in the car, or in Sanzo's lap in Julin's case. But that was another day to two away. For now, they stopped at a secluded area, one that would give them some type of cover but still be open enough to sleep.

Hakkai sat staring at the now almost full moon. It was hard to believe how long it had been since he had last been with Kanan. He looked down at his hand, remembering what Gojyo had said about his lifeline being so short. It took him almost a week and a half to get the permanent ink off his hand when Goku drew on it to try and make his lifeline longer. He sighed a bit, knowing that no matter what his hands looked like, they would remain stained with the blood of the thousand youkai that it took to make him a youkai. Even so, he still lost Kanan, his beloved sister and lover. Hakkai sighed again closing his eyes.

"What's the matter with your hands?" Hakkai jumped and paled, startled that someone had snuck up behind him. He looked over his shoulder to see Maki standing there, bent over to look at his hands.

"Oh, nothing's wrong," Hakkai replied, calming his beating heart. How is it she seems to always be able to sneak up behind him like that?

"Liar," Maki said, taking a seat next to Hakkai. She took hold of his hand and studied it. She looked it over for any physical injuries and then for any internal injuries, finding nothing. "Your hands look fine."

"Yeah, there's nothing wrong with them," Hakkai said before looking up at the sky again. "Except that I wont touch anything pure with them. They're too stained to do that."

"I don't think so." Hakkai blinked and looked at Maki. Maki smiled as she held his hand. "I like your hands. They're very soft and gentle," she said as she felt his skin. She removed the clothing that covered it and rubbed his knuckles with her thumb. "I've never seen someone with hands like these. You should appreciate them, not hate them."

Hakkai smiled a bit at her and looked towards the moon again. Kanan used to say similar things. She always loved his hands and was always holding them or touching them.

"Hey, Maki." Maki blinked and looked at Hakkai, who continued to look at the pale moon. "Have you ever…been in love with someone before? I mean truly in love, like you can't live without them and you'd do anything to protect them?"

Maki smiled and looks towards the sky as well leaning back a bit with her arms wrapped around her legs likea small child, the same way she always does. "Yeah, once. It was years ago that I met him." She smiled and closed her eyes, imagining her lover once again. "I met him out by the river. I was fishing and ended up falling in. I would've gotten out on my own, but we had a bad storm the night before, making the water rise and current pick up. He was a traveling medicine man at the time and just happen to be passing by. He dived right in like a knight in shinning armor and pulled me out from under the water."

Hakkai looked at Maki as she talked about her past. Of all the times they ever talked, she never spoke of having a lover of any sort. Maki opened her eyes open again, looking at the stars. "Later on, we both got pretty bad colds. But he took care of us both, making sure we had food and a warm fire." Maki's eyes then saddened a bit, but her smile still remained.

Hakkai knew not to pry, but his curiosity was getting the better of him. "What happened to him?"

"Well," Maki said, looking down at the ground. "We fell in love with one another, and we lived together for a long time. Then the accident happened. He had gone out to town to get some groceries, and never came back. When I went to find him, I had found out what had happened, though now I wish I hadn't. A group of bandit youkai had attacked the town. He defended some of the people, but in turn lost his life." Maki closed her eyes, remembering what it felt like when she stood in the streets, looking down at the mangled mass of what was once her lover.

But then, Maki looked at Hakkai smiling. "That's when I met Hitachi, Julin, Kirashi, and Yukio, whom we have yet to find. They helped me get off my knees and carry on."

Hakkai smiled a bit. So that's how they met Maki. Maki cocked her head to the side, looking at Hakkai. "What about you? Do you have anyone you truly love?"

Hakkai smiled a bit sheepishly. "Funny you should ask that. I did, once as well. Don't be disgusted or anything with me, but I fell in love with my older sister."

Maki blinked a bit at him, surprised. "Really? Wow, that must've been a bit hard."

Hakkai looked back at the sky again. "Kinda, but not really. Her name was Kanan, I loved her with all my heart and she loved me in return. Well, one day some youkai came to the village. The village people gave her up to take their place. I was a human back then."

Maki blinked again, this time in confusion. "You were a human?"

Hakkai looked at her and nodded. "Yes. You know that old legend that if a human were to bathe in the blood of a thousand youkai, he himself would become a youkai?" Maki nodded. "Well, that's what happened to me. I had gone after the youkai to get Kanan back, but when I got there, it was too late. They had already rapped her and she was carrying the youkai's spawn." Hakkai looked at the ground, eyes also saddening. "She was disgusted with herself, and so, she took her own life before my eyes. That's when a man named Chin Yisou spilled his blood on me, making him the thousandth youkai whose blood covered me. It turned me from human to youkai. And then I killed him, however I was seriously wounded."

"How did you survive? I mean, a whole place filled with dead youkai? What did you do?" Maki asked. This story interested her more than the other stories Hakkai had told her.

"Well, I walked as far as I could, trying not to spill all of my insides out onto the ground. That's when Gojyo found me. I wanted him to just kill me, but instead he took me in and helped me." Hakkai smiled, remembering how Gojyo had pretty much shoved his guts back into his body. "Back then, my name was Cho Gonou, but then I changed it to Cho Hakkai."

"I see, so Gojyo helped you instead of killing you?" Hakkai nodded. "Good!" Hakkai blinked and looked at Maki. Maki sat there looking at him a bit sternly. "No one should ever ask for death, even someone who's lost everything. When you loose everything, you have to get up off your knees and try again," Maki said before looking back at the ground. "At least, that's what Hitachi said. She told me that when you're down to get back up, cause every time to get back on your feet, it makes you much stronger. You learn from mistakes done in the past and use that knowledge to keep on standing. That's why no one should ever give up and ask for death, because that just makes you weak."

Hakkai blinked a bit and then smiled. "Well then, I think we'd best take Hitachi's advice and not give up just yet."

Maki looked at him and smiled. "Yeah."

They continued their conversations for a while. Sanzo had overheard what Maki had said and looked at Hitachi, who slept with Kirashi's head on her stomach. What she said made sense. When you learn from your mistakes, you know how similar mistakes will feel like and how to handle them, making it so they don't have that much of an effect on you anymore. Hitachi was a smart woman, and she didn't seem like the type that would settle down anytime soon. So it was no wonder she knew things like that. Sanzo closed his eyes again after making sure that Julin, who was curled in his lap, was covered up. This was defiantly going to be an interesting journey.

Ok, that's chapter 8! Hope yall like it! Next chapter will be Goku and Julin! I think you'll have fun with that chapter. But first, you gotta review!


	9. Chapter 9

Ok, this story is starting to really get good and will only get better! School is slowly coming to an end, which means much more time working on the stories! Yay! I'm so happy! Anyway, gotta thank reviewers!

Doublelynn- Yeah,I get too lazy to log in sometimes too. Lol! I know! Poor Hakkai! cuddles Hakkai But he's better now! Though still haunted by his past, but then again who isn't, ne?

Devil-Angel- Oh I know! Julin and Goku are so cute together! I hope you like this chapter!

Ok, I've babbled on enough. Time for the chapter!

Chapter 9

After a couple of days, they had finally reached another town. Sanzo and Hitachi both had gotten a couple of rooms, allowing the girls to sleep in a separate room for once. Ever since that day the old man attacked, the guys had kept close watch on the girls, but that began to annoy Hitachi and them after the first week or so. So, the girls decided they needed a bit of space.

The town was quite large, with a fairly big market place with a lot of food. The girls waned to do some trading while the guys needed supplies. So they all headed into town, taking Jeep with them this time.

"Sanzo, I'm hungry!" Goku whined as they walked down the street.

"I'm hungry too, Hitachi! Let's go eat!" Julin said, tugging on Hitachi's shirt like a small child. This had been going on since they arrived at the town, Goku and Julin both bugging Sanzo and Hitachi for food.

"You just ate an hour ago, Julin! How can you already be hungry?" Hitachi said, eye twitching from annoyance.

"Well what do you expect? That I only eat three times a day?" Julin replied, crossing her arms as they walked.

"That's the normal way people eat," Kirashi said from behind them as she followed with Maki.

"But then again, Julin ain't really normal, now is she?" Gojyo said, watching as Goku and Julin continued to bug the youkai woman and the priest.

"That's very true. Sanzo, why don't we leave Goku and Julin at one of the restaurants? I'm sure you could use some time away from them," Hakkai suggested, having the idea of satisfying Julin and Goku's appetites while at the same time making sure Sanzo doesn't loose his temper.

"Fine, whatever. Just get out of my sight," Sanzo said as he handed him the credit card.

"Yes!" Goku yelled, jumping in the air with joy.

"Yay!" Julin yelled as she glomped Hitachi, nearly knocking the poor woman over. Julin then turned to Goku, grinning. "I bet I can eat more meatballs than you can!"

Goku grinned back. "You're on!" This was routine for them. It became a habit that when both of them ate together, it would be a competition between the two on who ate more food. It was interesting to watch, but usually Goku won.

And this time was no different. People stopped and stared as the two both chowed down on meatballs, but Goku won, yet again having eaten the most food. Goku and Julin sat, their stomachs both full, but Goku had eaten the most meatballs out of both of them. For now, they sat there, drinking some of the soda they had ordered.

"It's no fair. I never win," Julin said, pouting with the straw in her mouth.

Goku grinned a bit. "You'll catch up to me one day. Don't give up."

Julin sighed as she continued to drink her soda. Goku watched her and couldn't help but wonder. How was it that Julin had begun to travel with Hitachi and the others? With him, it was that Sanzo had came and saved him. Sanzo may not seem like a good guy, but he was. He just had a strange way to show it. Taking him in and putting up with him was one way of showing his good side. But what about Julin? Hitachi didn't seem like a person who would come across someone like Julin by chance. There must be a reason.

"Hey, Julin." Julin blinked and looked up at Goku. Goku looked at her, unsure of whether or not to even ask her. "How…how did you and the others meet?"

Julin blinked and had to think a moment. It had been so long ago. "Well, my family and I lived on the outskirts of a small village. They weren't my real family though, just a human couple who found me, but I loved them anyway." Julin looked out the window watching the people walk by. "One day, a bad storm broke out and lightening stuck our home. The house was made out of wood and the roof was bound hay, so it all caught fire. I was able to get out because of my youkai abilities, but my parents, they died in the fire. After that, I started to wonder around the village, looking for food and stealing money when I needed it. Well, I picked the wrong pocket one day. It was Hitachi's, and she caught me good."

Julin smiled when she remembered how Hitachi wasn't mad even though she looked it. She just understood why Julin had done it. "When the other villagers found out she had caught me, they all gathered around and tried to figure out how to punish me for all the stealing I had done over the years. Hitachi told them all to fuck off. She walked through the crowd taking me by the arm; everyone let her by, knowing not to get in her way just by the look on her face. When we got outside the city, I expected her to just leave me there, but she didn't."

Julin stared off into space as she remembered what had happened. "Hitachi had looked at me and said 'Do you want to stay like this? Living off stealing and one day paying for those crimes? Do you want to live like this for the rest of your life?' I told her that I didn't want to anymore. She said 'Then follow me North. Leave everything behind and don't let those around you get to you because of what and who you are. Always stay standing on your own two feet and don't be dependant another, because more than likely they'll fall too. When you fail, just get back up and try again on your own.' From then on, I followed Hitachi wherever she went. She became my family, and my friend."

Goku blinked at her. He had no idea what type of life Julin had. All he ever really knew was what she had told him about her life WITH Hitachi, not without her. It sort of reminded him of when Sanzo had met him so long ago.

Julin looked back at Goku, that childish smile placed on her face again. "After that, we ran into Kirashi and Yukio and then Maki. From then on, we were all inseparable. Now, what about you guys? How did you all meet?"

"Well, let's see," Goku said, thinking about how he had met the others. "Well, I was imprisoned for about 500 years. I didn't know what I had even done. Then Sanzo came. He said I was calling him. He took me out of that place and brought me to the temple. After a while, we left to find a person named Cho Gonou." He then looked at Julin. "Cho Gonou was Hakkai just so you know."

"O…h," Julin replied, listening to Goku's story.

"When we found him, he was with Gojyo, who wasn't gonna let Sanzo near Hakkai. Hakkai escaped and took off. We found him again gouging out his eyes for a youkai. I kinda tackled him before he gouged out his left eye, but he had already taken out his right one, which explains why he wears that thing over his eye. Anyway, once we caught him we had to bring him to these gods or whatever. We thought he was dead. Then he came back with Gojyo, only this time his name was Hakkai. From that point on we became friends," Goku said, remembering how silly Gojyo looked with his haircut. (He did look pretty bad with it.)

"Wow, that's pretty cool," Julin said, bouncing in her seat a bit. Now she was excited. "So that's how you guys all met. I had no idea considering you guys fight so much all the time."

"Yeah, but all in all we're still friends," Goku grinned. It was true. No matter how badly they fought or how different they were, they were and always would be friends.

Yay! They're so cute! Next chapter will be Kirashi and Gojyo. I just had to save Hitachi and Sanzo for last!! They'll be so funny! Please review!


	10. Chapter 10

Ok, it's been a while since I last updated. Sorry! But I'm back in school again, in college now. Don't fret! College work will never keep me from writting my stories! I shall continue to give you my works or writting! ...or something like that... Anyway, I don't have the reviews for the last chapter in front of my so I'll just say thank you all for reviewing and please continue to read my story!

Chapter 10

Night fell and the air chilled, but it didn't bother Gojyo as he stood outside smoking a cigarette. He took a drag and blew out the sweet smoke. The moon was nearly full and the stars shinning brightly. It was a beautiful night, one that was sometimes rare. He took another drag of the cancer stick and blew a smoke ring. It was a quiet night, one that was even more rare considering all the youkai that kept attacking them.

For some reason, his mind started to wander back to his mother. He remembered how she always cried whenever she would look at him. The face of his father and the woman she never knew. It had to have been hard for her, knowing that his father was with another woman, and a human no less. He couldn't blame her for wanting to kill him. A half demon. That's all that he was, the child of a youkai father that was born of a human mother. His red hair was proof of that. He hated his hair. It stood out like a warning or blood. Gojyo sighed a bit as he ran a hand through his crimson hair, the hair he wished he didn't have.

"Mind if I join you?" Gojyo blinked and looked at Kirashi as she walked out of the inn, already pulling out a cigarette of her own. She put the pack back and started digging in her pockets for her lighter.

"Sure, I don't mind," Gojyo said as he pulled out a lighter and lit it for her. Kirashi put the cigarette to the flame, took a drag blowing out the smoke, and nodded her thanks. They stood in content silence as they smoked outside.

"So, what's so important for you out West?" Gojyo asked, breaking the silence. He had been wondering what was bothering Kirashi so badly that she needed to head West.

"I have some unfinished business with someone who's most likely gone that way," Kirashi answered, leaning against the wall of the building as she took another drag.

"Is it this Yukio person I heard Maki talking about earlier?" Kirashi blinked and looked at him. She then sighed and nodded.

"Old boyfriend?"

"Fiancé actually. He sold us out to that innkeeper, and I plan to get revenge for it," Kirashi said, glaring at the ground. Obviously this was what was bothering her so much.

"So why head west? Something there you know he'll go after?"

"Well, not exactly. You see, when Hitachi came to visit with Julin, a sibling wanting to check up on her sister, we had a home out West. That's where we built a house with our own hands and planned to raise children there. But we decided to go with them for a while and explore the world before we settled down." Kirashi looked towards the sky. "It was our dream to have a family together, until we got separated. I planned to leave first thing in the morning to find him, but I never did get that chance."

Gojyo looked up at the sky as well. "So you think he'll return to that home?"

"I hope he does. That'll be his final resting place," Kirashi replied. She then smirked. "As they say, till death do us part."

Gojyo grinned a bit and looked at her. "You're serious about this huh?"

Kirashi laughed a bit, a laugh that Gojyo hadn't heard in a while. "Damn right I am. No one betrays me and gets away with it."

Gojyo chuckled a bit and looked back up at the sky. "Hey, Gojyo." He looked back at Kirashi, who looked back at him. She then reached over, gently tracing the scares on his cheek. "How did this happen?"

Gojyo blinked and then signed, turning his head back towards the sky. "Well, as you probably know by my hair and eyes, I'm a half demon. My father had me with a human mother, but the mother I lived with was a youkai, his current wife. She hated to look at me, knowing I wasn't her son but my father's." He gently touched the scares on his cheek. "I got these when she tried to kill me, tears always running down her face."

"She tried to kill you? Because you were a half demon?" Kirashi asked, listening to Gojyo's story.

Gojyo nodded. "Yeah, I would've allowed her to, so long as it made her happy. Anyway, when she was about to kill me, my brother killed her. My brother was her son, a full youkai. He killed his own mother, to save me."

"That must've been hard for him," Kirashi said as she looked back up at the moon. She never really knew her mother, but she could just imagine how hard it must've been to have to slay your own flesh and blood to save someone.

"Yeah. After that, he disappeared. Then I found him, only now he's Dokugakuji."

Kirashi blinked and coughed, nearly choking on the smoke in her lungs. "You're kidding? You mean that guy really was your brother?"

"Yeah, though he wasn't always that way. He was a pretty good guy back then," Gojyo said as he looked at the youkai woman.

"Man, this just keeps getting more and more confusing," Kirashi said as she rubbed her head a bit.

"Yeah, but anyway. My bro is full youkai so of course he was born to look like my youkai mother and father. While I was born to resemble my father and human mother. So it always made my mother cry to look at me." Gojyo took a piece of his crimson hair and looked at it. "It's also the reason I got this color hair. Red as blood."

Kirashi blinked at him. "You don't like your hair?"

Gojyo laughed slightly. "Not really. I see them more as being a warning or a beacon that I'm a half demon. Sometimes I really wish I could just cut it all off."

"Don't do that!" Gojyo blinked and looked at Kirashi. "I like your hair. You stand out above anyone else because of it. I think your hair is a sign that youkai and humans can live with one another without sacrificing anything." Gojyo blinked at Kirashi. She looked a bit upset at him for even saying that.

Kirashi reached over and ran her fingers through his crimson locks. "You're hair is beautiful, and it suites you. Never be ashamed of who or what you are. That's what Hitachi told me. She taught me that you should never let people judge you for what you are, because you can't choose those types of things. Be proud of it, because that is what makes you different from all the rest."

Gojyo stared at her a bit, her fingers still entwined in his hair. He never heard anyone say things like that. He always hated his hair, being the one thing that would tell people he was a half-breed. But from the way she put it, it didn't seem that bad. In a way, she sort of let him believe that it was ok to be a half-breed, if only for a little while.

Gojyo smirked a bit at her. "Well now, since you put it that way, I wont cut it all off again. Sound cool?"

"Good, cause then I'd have to kick your ass," Kirashi replied, her hand slipping from his crimson locks.

"I'll remember that," Gojyo said as he took another drag of his cigarette. He looked over at Kirashi as she looked back up at the sky, the cigarette dangling from her lips. He never noticed before but she was quite beautiful. Her hair was as dark as the night sky while her eyes were more like the burning embers from a fire. The scares that he could see suited her, letting people know not to piss her off. Gojyo smirked as he looked back up at the moon. Dokugakuji was right about one thing. She was quite a looker and strong to boot. Maybe hangin around them wasn't so bad after all.

Ok, that's chapter 10! Next up will be an encounter with Sanzo and Hitachi! And another surprising new twist! So be ready and review!


	11. Chapter 11

Wow! 103 hits? Never thought I'd get that many for this story! Anyway, I dunno if you guys are gonna like this chapter too much. It's...um...got acliffhangar in it unfortunatly. But I wont give away any details. Read and find out!

Chapter 11

After a good night's rest, the girls headed out to do their normal trading, but not after leaving the guys some breakfast. This is how it always was with each town they stopped at. The girls would make the guys some food to keep them occupied before heading out to trade with the townspeople. They usually came back around lunchtime, bringing back more stuff than they left with.

After they had left, the guys all started to eat the food the girls had left them. The girls had learned over time to make a lot of food, seeing as how the guys could eat like there was no tomorrow, especially Goku.

"This stuff is great!" Goku yelled as he continued to wolf down as much food as he could.

"Hey! That's my sausage link you stupid monkey!" Gojyo yelled as they fought over the food.

"Nu uh! It's mine!"

"You stupid monkey!"

"Perverted kappa!"

"Will you two shut up and eat quietly!" Sanzo yelled as he hit them both with his fan.

Hakkai chuckled as he sipped the tea Maki made for them. Sanzo sighed as he sat back down, a vein throbbing at his temple.

Goku rubbed his head, frowning in thought for a moment. Should he ask him about Hitachi? Well, guess it wouldn't hurt…too much. "Hey, Sanzo."

"What?" Sanzo said, apparently annoyed as he continued to eat.

"What do you think of Hitachi?" Sanzo nearly choked on his food as he coughed. That question had completely caught him off guard.

"Goku, what do you mean by that?" Hakkai asked, seeing as how Sanzo was still trying to clear the food from his throat.

Goku bit his lip slightly as he looked at the table. "Well, it's just that she seems sort of…I dunno…kinda like Sanzo." Sanzo frowned and looked at him. Like him?

"You know, I think the stupid money's got a point," Gojyo said as he lit his cancer stick. "She does seem a lot like you, Sanzo. Only a hell of a lot more motherly."

"What in the hell are you two babbling about? How in the hell did you two even come upon that conclusion?" Sanzo said, finding this whole conversation quite foolish.

"Well, she told Julin something that really reminded me of you," Goku relied, looking up at Sanzo. "She said 'Leave everything behind and don't let those around you get to you because of what and who you are. Always stay standing on your own two feet and don't be dependent of another, because more than likely they'll fall too. When you fail, just get back up and try again on your own.'"

Sanzo frowned slightly. That was something similar to what he believed. To never let anything hold you back. "Kirashi said something like that too." Sanzo looked at the red haired kappa as he looked at the table a bit thoughtfully. "She said Hitachi had told her 'you should never let people judge you for what you are, because you can't choose those types of things. Be proud of it, because that is what makes you different from all the rest.'"

"Maki was the same way." All eyes turned to Hakkai as he remembered his and Maki's conversation a few nights before. "She told Maki that no one should ever ask for death, even someone who's lost everything. When you loose everything, you have to get up off your knees and try again. 'When you're down, get back up. Cause every time to get back on your feet, it makes you much stronger. You learn from mistakes done in the past and use that knowledge to keep on standing. That's why no one should ever give up and ask for death, because that just makes you weak.'"

"Well, seems our little female version of Sanzo here has had quite a bit of experience in life, wouldn't you say?" Gojyo said as he looked at Hakkai.

Hakkai nodded and looked at Sanzo. "What do you think, Sanzo?"

Sanzo didn't say anything as he stood from the table. He pulled his shoes on before walking outside, needing a bit of time to think.

Goku looked at Hakkai and Gojyo. "You don't think we pissed him off, do you?"

"I don't think so, Goku. I think he just needs to think some things over right now," Hakkai replied sipping his tea again.

"How much you wanna bet those two will end up hooking up?" Gojyo said with a smirk.

Hakkai chuckled as he looked at his friend. "It's a high possibility; however, their personalities are so alike it'll happen without them even noticing."

Sanzo sighed as he walked down the busy street. What Hitachi had said was all in all true. It seemed that she had quite a lot of experience in life. He didn't know hardly anything about Hitachi. Mostly all he knew was what he saw. She was a woman who got annoyed about as easily as he did but would do anything for her friends, even if it cost her her life. She never smiled anything more than a smirk or two. Even the faintest smile was rare and usually directed at her friends, mostly Julin. But from what he heard, she was also what started their friendship and kept it strong. If she were taken from them, they'd first fight to get her back, and then fall apart if they failed. From the day they met to the day they die, no on could make them part.

It was even stranger, however, that this type of bond could form between youkai. Hitachi and Kirashi he could understand. Two siblings as close as they were would never part ways. He could probably even understand Julin. Some female youkais take in younger ones as though they were their own flesh and blood. But it was Maki that seemed odd. He had no idea on how they met her and why Hitachi took her with them.

Sanzo looked up, seeing Hitachi at a stand examining some fruits. Her face, of coarse, was blank, no sign of a smile or even a frown of thought. What was it this one woman possessed that brought three different youkai from different areas and backgrounds together?

Hitachi paid for the fruits, knowing that these types of fruits would give them a lot of energy, which they'd need on the rest of this journey West. Julin and the others had taken off in different directions, agreeing to meet back on the inn within the hour. That left some time to herself. Hitachi looked up to see Sanzo there, looking at her. So much for time alone.

"We're home!" Maki yelled as she, Julin, and Kirashi entered the room.

"Ah, welcome back," Hakkai said as he walked over, taking one of the heavy bags from Maki.

"Man, that place was so busy. I nearly got completely turned around," Julin said, collapsing onto the couch.

"Yeah, really. I'm gonna take a bath if no one minds," Kirashi said as she headed for he bedroom to get ready.

"Hitachi's not back yet huh?" Maki asked, starting to unload the supplies from the bags.

"Not yet. She should be back soon though," Hakkai replied, helping her with all the supplies. They were running low on pretty much everything so there was quite a bit that needed to be bought. Maki had said she'd do it while she was trading.

"Well, let's hope she'll be back soon," Julin said from her comfortable position on the couch.

Sanzo watched Hitachi as she walked over to him. "Need something?" Hitachi asked, her face remaining the same blank stare.

"Who said I needed anything from you?" Sanzo replied, pulling out one of his cigarettes.

"Why else would you be standing here looking at me like I'm someone to pick a fight with?" Hitachi asked, her eyes never once leaving his.

Sanzo frowned slightly. The truth was, she stood out. She stood out more than anyone else around. It was like no matter what she did or didn't do, you could always pick her out of a crowd of people. That's what really amazed him sometimes.

"Well maybe if you didn't stand out like a sore thumb no one would pay any mind to you," Sanzo replied.

"And maybe if you'd actually smile a little more no one would think you're an arrogant prick," Hitachi said, walking past him.

"Maybe you should do the same. Don't you think?"

Hitachi paused in her walking. She was silent for a moment. "I have nothing to smile for anymore. I haven't for a long time now."

Sanzo turned and looked at the youkai woman. "So then it's true. All those things you've taught Kirashi and them. They're all from your own experience."

Hitachi didn't answer as she kept on walking, Sanzo's eyes on her the whole time.

Grey eyes glittered with joy as he watched them. This was perfect. Their guard was down. The spell had its time to work through their systems fully. The next phase of his plan was about to be put into motion. Their eyes will finally be open, and then the rest will be up to them to decide: go for it or let it go. The grin on his face widened as he held a glass sphere in his hands, which held the image of the four youkai women. The sphere slowly dropped from the hand, falling to the ground before shattering into tiny, sparkling pieces, scattered upon the ground.

Maki paused in putting the food onto the table. Something was wrong. She felt dizzy, and he breathing was becoming harder to do. Her heart felt like there was a vice grip on it. What was happening?

Julin was having a similar experience. She put a hand to her chest as she sat up from lying on the couch. What was wrong? Why couldn't she breath very well?

Kirashi leaned against the wall, dressed in her robe with a hand to her chest. She frowned as she took a deep breath. It hurt. Something was really not right here.

Hitachi stopped walking and put a hand to her chest as well. What was going on? She felt fine a few moments ago, so where did this come from?

Hakkai looked up at Julin and Maki and frowned. "Something wrong, you two?" Goku looked at them as well, blinking in confusion. Gojyo frowned and stood.

"I'm…not sure. I...can't breath…right," Maki replied, having even more trouble breathing.

Sanzo frowned and walked over to Hitachi, putting a hand on the youkai woman's shoulder. "What's the matter?"

Hitachi shook her head, putting her other hand on her chest as well. "I don't…know. I…I can't breathe." Her breath was becoming short and quick. It felt like her lungs were being compressed. Before Sanzo could reply, Hitachi collapsed onto the ground, her things falling from her bag.

"Hitachi!" Sanzo yelled as he quickly knelt next to her, picking her up.

"Maki!" Hakkai yelled as Maki fell to the ground and into his arms. "Maki!"

Goku quickly ran and caught Julin as she fell as well. "Julin!"

"What the hell is going on?" Gojyo yelled.

"Gojyo! Check on Kirashi!" Hakkai yelled as he started to check over Maki, wanting to find anything that could tell him what was wrong.

Gojyo ran into the back bedroom, kicking open the door. "Kirashi!" His eyes widened a bit as he saw the youkai lying on the ground, curled up a bit with her hands to her chest. What in the hell was going on? It seemed the danger they thought had passed had come back to haunt them again.

Ok! That was that chapter! dodges random objects being thrown at her I'm sorry! But I had to do it! I don't think you guys will like the next chapter too much either. It'll...have a death scene in it. But I wont give away any details! You must reveiw and I'll post it up as soon as I can!


	12. End

Hey guys! I'm really sorry for having to do this to you guys and leave such a bad stop, but this story is officially discontinued. There is a reason for it, I promise! Over time my writing style has improved greatly and I looked back on part 1 and what I have of part 2, and I don't like it. I can't even believe I wrote that way.

So, I have to discontinue this story, but don't be discouraged. I am currently working on a remake of this story. Hitachi and the others will still be there but it will be better than ever. There's going to be more details, more action, more everything. If you take a look at my Fruits Basket story and compare it to this one, you'll see how much my writing has improved.

I will leave this story up for people who want to read it, but it will not be updated. Just keep an eye out for my new story. It will be much better and shall be coming out soon! Thank you all so much for sticking with me through this whole story. I hope to please you even more with my remake. Thank you!


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